Falling Apart At the Seams
by Hermioneee
Summary: What if Lily became pregnant not after she and James were married, but when they were still at Hogwarts? How will James and Lily deal with it, especially with Voldemort on the loose and more powerful than ever?
1. Caught Off Guard

Lily turned swiftly down the corridor, and after making sure that no one was watching, she slipped into the empty classroom. James was already in there, as he promised he would be. They were on the third floor, and it was after midnight and Filch had Mrs. Norris patrolling the school, so Lily and James both knew that they had to be careful on their way here. Even though there were both Head Boy and Head Girl, Hogwarts had a strict curfew policy, one that even their ranks of authority could forget. Lily Evans was in her seventh year. James was also. They had been going out since September. This, however, was all new to them.

" James," Lily whispered, as to alert him to her presence. She immediately started to cry. James hobbled over to her, having sporting a new quidditch injury to his leg. She sat down on an empty desk, and James sat down next to her.

" What is it? When you gave me that note I knew that it had to be urgent. Why did we have to come here, Lily?" James looked at his girlfriend with concern and confusion, and that made Lily cry even harder. She buried her head in her hands.

" I didn't want anyone to hear, that would have been awful. Just awful!"

James shook his head, and put his arm around Lily's shoulders. " Lily, _what is it?"_

Lily gulped for some air, and lifted her head. She stared at James.

" I'm pregnant."


	2. Really?

James' gaze slid down from her eyes, and locked onto her stomach. _What? _" Are you..serious?"

Lily nodded. " D'you think that I would lie about something like this? Oh, James, what are we going to do?"

James shook his head, disbelieving. How could he have gotten Lily pregnant? Why didn't the spell work? He had a mind to go run to Dumbledore, demanding to know why the spell books for his classes lied. But that wouldn't do. Nobody must know about this, they would be expelled if it were found out. Immediately, James saw faces. His mother, crying and worried as she realized that her only child's life was being destroyed. His father, disappointed as he berated James for doing something so stupid. Sirius, furious, while ignoring him for acting like a prat. Dumbledore, telling them that they both had to leave Hogwarts. Lily, hating him for doing this to her.

" L-Lil-Lily, I'm sorry?" Mentally, James kicked himself a he watched Lily's tears dry, her face turning bright red. _Here we go, _He thought. But it never came. His girlfriend just leaned up against him, and sighed.

" I just don't understand why that spell didn't work. We used all kinds of protective spells, and now look at where it got us. Who can we talk to?" She sighed again, and twisted her arm backwards as she ran her fingers through James hair absentmindly.

" Err- no one? Lil, why does anyone have to know? Come June, and we'll be out of here, we can get married, and have the baby. It will be simple." James laughed bitterly.

" James, you are such an idiot," Lily hissed." It's December. By June, I'll be _huge_. Even _before _June everyone will know that I am pregnant. We have to do something, we have to talk to someone. There has to be a spell that I can use to cover it up. There just _has to be."_ James knew that Lily was about to start crying again right when she became very, very quiet.

" Lily, they'll probably make us leave. They won't let us stay at Hogwarts."

Lily stayed quiet, but then stood up abrubtly. " No."

"What? What do you mean, _no?"_ James watched Lily as she walked over to the bookshelf that was near the teacher's desk.

" James, this isn't against the rules. We weren't in school when it happened. We were on Holiday." She bent down under the desk, and surfaced with a very large and dusty book in her hands.

" So?"

" _So,_" Lily brought the book over to the desk where she and James were, and slammed it down. She began to rifle through the pages. " The rules say that we would have to be expelled if it happened on school grounds, but it didn't." She looked up at him. " We can stay."

James felt a huge weight being lifted off of his chest. But still, something was nagging him. " Lily, what about our parents? Even if the school says that we can stay, my Mum and Dad are going to pull me out, and so are yours." _Then they will murder me,_ James thought to himself.

Lily just shook her head. " They are going to have to deal with it." She put her hands on James' knees, and he lifted her onto his lap. Lily spoke quietly. " I love you, James Potter, and that's never going to change."

James was confused. Minutes ago, when she told him that she was pregnant, he thought that she would have been breaking down in frustration. But she wasn't. She was being strong. Unless, she was just pretending to be that way. But...a child!? With Voldemort out in the open? He was glad that they had a chance of staying at Hogwarts, it was the only safe place now-a-days, but still.

" I love you, Lily." He hugged her, and momentarily forgot about Dumbledore, his Mum and Dad, and Sirius.

Lily and James both moved stealthily around the corridors, hiding from Filtch and his cat with the help of the Marauders Map and James' invisibility cloak. They slipped into Gryffindor tower, and were able to make it to their Head dormitories without waking anyone else up.

The next morning, Lily purposely stayed in the common room so that she could talk to James' alone. When he finally came down, Sirius, Remus, and Peter laughing in his wake, Lily knew that he hadn't told his friends.

" James?" Lily said tentatively, sliding her hand into his. He just shook his head, and smiled at his friends as he told them to go down the Great Hall for breakfast, reassuring them that he would be quick to follow.

Once they were gone, he pulled Lily up the stairs and into his dormitory. They sat down on his bed, which was rumpled with its sheets tossed about. Lily sighed, and began to make it for him.

" Lily, do you want to go to Madam Pomfrey, instead of going directly to Dumbledore? With any luck, she'll say that your too, err, _sick _to have to go into a meeting with him." James was proud of his plan, he saw it as a very clever way to ignore Dumbledore's dissapointment while still doing what was right. Lily, however, frowned.

" James, I might be safe, but what about you?"

James stopped smiling immedialty. " Err, I could faint or something?"

Lily laughed, and sat down on the bed. " No, silly. You couldn't."

James pulled Lily into his embrace. " Then shall we do it by the end of the week, then?" Lily nodded, and they went down to breakfast. If their friends noticed their spacy expressions, they didn't say so.


	3. Hiding the Impossible

They made it to the end of the week without any teachers, students, or housemates knowing that something was up. It was during lunch on Friday, however, when Lily became very quiet and wouldn't eat. James' knew that something was wrong.

" Lil?" He said, prompting her. She just shook her head, and rubbed her abdomen as she winced as in pain. " Lily, are you ok?"

Lily's eyes looked so sullen that it scared James. Lily shook her head again, and leaned into James. He put down his goblet of pumpkin juice and hugged her. Sirius was looking at them with a funny expression.

" Lily, are you ill?" Peter piped in, noticing it as well. This time, Lily didn't answer, not even with a shake of her head. Sirius locked eyes with James, and cocked his head toward the entrance of the Great Hall, out to the corridor where the Hospital Wing was. James, following Lily's example, just shook his head.

The clatter that Sirius' fork and knife made as they hit his plate startled Lily from her trance. " Lily, damn it, what's the matter? James?" Sirius said loudly, then turning to James as his friend stood up, tugging Lily by the hand behind him.

" Nothing's the matter Sirius, so _can it_." James whispered harshly, and still holding on to Lily's hand, left the Great Hall.

Once he had Lily a far distance away from any human contact, he turned to her and finally noticed that silent tears were pouring down her pale cheeks. He pulled her into a hug, and was startled at how she seemed to fall down with exhaustion. He lowered her down to the floor, and crouched in front of her, taking her face in his hands. She had closed her eyes.

" Lily, I think you need to go to the hospital wing."

Her eyes snapped open, although she still looked weary. " No, I don't. I told you, We'll go at the end of the week. On Sunday, when none of the students will really notice if we're gone. So just stop, James, and leave me alone." She whispered that last part with despair evident in both her eyes and her voice, and stood up, and slowly walked away and up the stairs, towards McGonagall's classroom. James' knew better than to follow her.

" You're lying through your teeth, James Potter, and I want to know why."

Sirius was standing behind him, and suddenly shoved James into an empty classroom and locked the door.

" Sirius, what is your problem!-,"

" What's_ your _problem, James, telling me that Lily is alright when you know she's not. Why is she acting that way? You're both hiding something, I know you are."

James was speechless. He couldn't lie again, not to Sirius. Remus, maybe, but not to Sirius. " I..I, Sirius, Lily doesn't want me too-,"

" So something is wrong then? Well, your only doing a huge disservice to her by keeping it quiet." Sirius barked out. He pushed James into a chair, and then sat down in front of him. " _Tell me." _

James took a deep breath, and told him.

Sirius was shocked, but thanked James for telling him. After making it clear that James was a prat and was really stupid, Sirius walked James to transfiguration, where their next class was. Professor McGonagall was already in the classroom, and so were a few other students. Lily was one of them, but she was sitting alone, staring blankly at her desk. James noticed that McGonagall was looked at Lily with concern.

Sirius sat in the desk behind James and Lily, with Remus. James swung his book bag onto the floor and took the chair next to Lily. He reached down the kiss her, and almost made it, before she turned away, muttering for James to stop. Now, McGonagall was really watching them, and when she caught James' eye she opened her mouth as if to say something, but closed it. She began teaching as soon as all of the students were in the room.

" We will be continuing the practice of human transformation, and I hope all of you remembered to do the reading that was assigned. If you didn't, we will soon know of it."

So they began the class, and while James and Sirius were performing rather well, due to their practicing human transfiguration once every month, no one noticed that Lily turned paler and paler with each try. At one point, Sirius had mistakenly turned Peter into a small black toad, and as McGonagall tried to repair the damage the class roared with laughter. Lily, however, was sitting in her chair, with her head supported by her hands.

The action-oriented part of the class ended rather quickly due to Peter's toad-state, and McGonagall lectured while the class sat in their desks, worn out from all the hard work.

" -that should never have occurred in my classroom, and we must all remember not to let ourselves get carried away in our spell work, especially when we are practicing on one another-Ms. Evans, are you alright?!?"

Lily had fainted dead away out of her seat, and was lying on the floor of the classroom very, very still. James jumped up, and McGonagall came over as students began to realize what was happening. Lily did not awaken, even as James shook her slightly. McGonagall's eyes were darting around, trying to find a solution. There ended up being no need, for Lily did stir, and before she could even register why she was on the floor James had hoisted her up and was running out of the classroom and down the hall with her, toward the hospital wing, where he knew they should have gone a long time ago.


	4. Letting Go and Facing Up

James pounded on the heavy oak doors of the Hospital wing, and alerted Madam Pomfrey to what had happened to Lily. Right before they had gotten her into a bed, Lily had fainted again, only this time her head hit a pillow rather than the hard floor of the transfiguration classroom. James could see that she was very, very ill. He hated himself for not making her go to the Hospital Wing right after she told him about the baby.

James wasn't allowed to stay in the hospital wing, but he didn't want to go back to class, so he headed to the Gryffindor common room. All of the students were in classes, so he had the room to himself, for which he was thankful. He needed to think.

He was only given a minute before the portrait hole swung open to reveal a very haggard and old looking Professor Dumbledore. James stood up immediately. He couldn't remember the last time Dumbledore came to Gryffindor tower.

" James, hello." Dumbledore said calmly, then gestured toward the door. " How about you and I take a stroll to my office? I delight in guests, preferably youthful ones." Without waiting for James' answer, he walked out of the portrait hole. James hurried in his wake. There was silence until they reached the headmaster's office, the password being " banana fritters". Dumbledore took his seat at his desk, and motioned for James to sit in another seat. He did.

The old professor leaned forward, and just stared at James for a few seconds. James knew that Madam Pomfrey must have told Professor Dumbledore about Lily. There was no way that his girflfriend could hide her pregnancy when she was in the hospital wing.

" You are coming from transfiguration class, I presume?" Dumbledore aske,d conversationally.

" Err, yes, sir." James gulped.

" Tricky business, transfiguration. I taught transfiguration, myself, back before I was given this office and the job that comes with it," Dumbledore remarked.

" I didn't know that sir," the words stumbled out of James' mouth, although he didn't know where this was coming from.

" Well, that was in the past. Transfiguration can be dangerous too, especially when the wrong people try it…for instance, if an expecting mother if trying to transfigure herself, there could be nasty results."

James' mouth dropped. So that was why Lily had fainted. She had been exhausted earlier in the day, and the stress of the assignment must have been too much.

" Sir, I can explain-,"

" No, Mr. Potter, I'm afraid that you cannot, for I am still talking." Although Dumbledore's voice was light, his eyes looked like steel, and James' could tell that he was angry. Yet, Dumbledore continued. " I like to know what is going on with my pupils, but their lives are their own, and it would be rude if I butted. But this, Mr. Potter, has caught my concern. Not only are you and Ms. Evan's still in school, but you are young, very young, and quite naive to what the world has to offer you. Why you would be so quick to spoil your chances of graduated youth, I do not understand. Enlighten me."

James stared down at the floor. Dumbledore's floor was the color of honey.

" Sir..I love her."

" Waiting wouldn't have meant you loved Ms. Evan's any less, Mr. Potter," Dumbledore said softly. " However, we cannot dwell on that thought now that I have my answer. Ms. Evan's has a child on her way, and you have to be there for her. You need to support her, protect her, and raise your child. All while you are still seventeen. So…how are you going to do it?"

James was stunned. Dumbledore's last question didn't seem to be a sarcastic one, but an utterly sincere question. " I, I..I mean, we are going to get jobs...maybe in Diagon Alley..and we already know that we're going to get married, so we can live together..and…" He just stopped talking. As he went on, he knew that he and Lily were in loads of trouble. They couldn't do this, not on their own.

" Mr. Potter, I think that it would be best if you alerted your parents to this new event. Better sooner than later, I believe. Also, I need to speak with Charlus and Sophia." Dumbledore stood up, walked over to his fireplace, and handed the pot of floo powder to James. " There is not time like the present."

James took the floo powder, stepped into the tall fireplace, and sprinkled himself with the fine, dusty powder. " Err..my Mum and Dad's house." One last look showed him Dumbledore's office, and a very sad looking headmaster, before James felt himself whisked away. Seconds later, James found himself staring into a familiar looking kitchen.

A shriek greeted him, and he was yanked out of the fireplace by his mother.

" James, darling, what the heavens are you doing here??" She yanked her son out of the fireplace, and shook some soot off of his shoulders. She couldn't seem to stop giving him hugs. James put up with it because, well, he knew that he'd want her on his side for when he told them the news.

" Mum..where's Dad?" James asked sullenly.

Sophia didn't seem to notice. " Charlus? Charlie, your son's here- he's back from school!!!!" She squeeled like a schoolgirl, and raced to the stove, where she conjured some soup, and ladled it into two bowls just as Charlus Potter walked into the kitchen. He gave James a hug, and they all sat down at the kitchen table.

" James, how's school, son?" Charlus rubbed his hands together, keen on hearing about Hogwarts. Sophia twittered around the kitchen, opening up cabinets and shutting them again. She couldn't keep still, she was so excited at having James home. " Dumbledore let you come say hello, did he?"

" Err, yea, he did, but not just for a visit, I need to talk to you about…well, something."

Sophia smiled. " You know that you can talk to us about anything, dear."

" Are you in trouble?" Charlus asked with a worried expression.

James felt a knot in the back of his throat. " No…well, kinda of-Lily..Lily and I..Lily's pregnant." He put his head in his hands, and felt one, single tear come down his face.

Sophia dropped the dish she was holding, and for a moment the entire house was silent.

" James," Sophia whispered." How did that..how did that happen?"

" I don't know." James mumbled, his head still down.

" James…why would you even..how?!?" Charlus exclaimed, laying a hand on his son's shoulder. Lily was such a sweet girl…

" Dad, I don't know, ok?" James exploded, getting up form his seat and pacing in the kitchen. It was obvious that he was crying now, tears running fast down his red cheeks. He leaned against the counter top, and looked out the window toward his mother's prized herb garden. " The spell- it didn't work! It just..didn't work!" He shook his head, and turned to face his parents, who were both very pale and holding each others hands. " If you don't want to help us, that's fine, because I love Lily and I'm going to love this baby. I'm going to take care of them, but if your not proud of that, theres nothing that I can do about it." James swiveled around, heading back toward the fireplace. He felt a hand on his shoulder, and he turned around. The hand belonged to his father.

" Oh, James.." Charlus pulled his son into a hug, and put a hand on James' head. " We'll help you. We will- we'll take care of you, Lily, and the baby. Don't worry, son. Please don't worry."

James choked back a sob and hugged his father back. Over his Dad's shoulder, James saw his Mum drying her eyes with a towel. He walked over and gave her a hug too.

" We love you, Jamie." Sophia said, patting him on the cheek. " Do you want us to come back to school with you?"

" Err..Dumbledore said he had to talk to the both of you."

" Alright. You floo back, and we'll follow right behind you."

James did as he was told, and after he arrived back in Dumbledore's fireplace, he quickly got out of the way for his parents. Sophia and Charlus both appeared amidst the green flames, which died down eventually. Dumbledore greeted them with his usual eccentric gusto.

" Charlus, Sophia, welcome. We have much, much to discuss." Dumbledore nodded his head at James, who took the message, and after hugging both of his parents goodbye, sprinted down to the hospital wing. Lily was waiting.


	5. It Get's Easier

He didn't bother to knock this time, James just rushed into the Hospital Wing. Lily was still in a bed. She had several handkerchiefs around her, all tear stained, which she shoved under the cot when she saw James approaching.

" Oh, James. I'm so sorry." Lily breathed out a sigh as James embraced her tightly, and he sat down on her cot.

" Lily, I talked to Dumbledore. And Mum and Dad." James said, taking her hand in his. Lily's hands were very warm, and comforting. James wondered if the baby would like being held by Lily, who always had nice hands.

" Oh..sweetheart, how did it go? I can understand if your mother is outside digging my grave right now.." Lily had met Sophia several times, and loved how the elder woman was always so overexcited about the slightest of things. She also knew that Sophia was fiercely protective of James, as he was the only Potter child.

" Lil, it went... fine. They're going to help us, they said. Dumbledore said we can stay in Hogwarts, too. I know the rules said that we could anyway, but it was good to hear it from him. He was obviously angry, though." James said, squeezing her hand. Lily squeezed it back.

" James. I'm so scared. I can't believe that we are going to have a _baby_." Lily whispered, laying down against her pillow. James propped it up for her. " A real, living thing. All for us."

" Are you excited at all, Lily?" James paused before he said this. Although he was nervous, he was getting used to the idea of having a baby with Lily. To his surprise, Lily giggled. That was so, well, un Lily-like.

" James, I kind of am! I mean, wow, after we get married, we will have the baby right away. Oh, what will it be like?" Lily had a genuine smile. James felt something lift inside of him.

" I'm glad that you're ok with this. Most girls wouldn't be."

Lily snorted. " And how would you know, Mr. Potter?"

James grinned. " I love you."

Lily leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. " I love you too. And-," Lily touched her stomach. " -I'm going to love this baby."

Lily and James had worried about the student's reaction, but they didn't have to worry about that for long. James had told Remus and Peter, as Sirius already knew, and the teachers were informed. Unfortunately, one plucky Ravenclaw boy had been in the hospital wing at that time for eating too much nougat, and overheard the entire conversation. The Great Hall was abuzz with the news, but the teachers ignored all of the students questions and assigned detention to any student who gossiped about it during their classes. Lily was given a potion by Madam Pomfrey that would hide the swollenness of her stomach, but was warned that it wouldn't hide it completely.

Once Lily had been released from the Hospital Wing, she had to face a lot of questions from curious students, who didn't believe that " perfect" Lily Evans could have done such a thing. They all walked away from their conversations with Lily with their jaws dropped open. His friends had teased James, but didn't go very far with it. Professor McGonagall, however, was another story.

" Stupid actions, Mr. Potter, are not acceptable and are frowned upon. You and Ms. Evans have ruined your chances at young adulthood!" She had berated James for what seemed like an hour after transfiguration class, and he had to sprint through the castle in order to make it to the last five minutes of Potions class. Professor Slughorn did not seem to mind, as he was just finishing up congratulating Lily with tears in his eyes. He shook James hand, which caused James to turn red with embarrassment.

By April, all of the seventh year students were either being pulled out of school for a few days to go for job interviews or they were busily studying, but everyone loosened up a bit and went into Hogsmeade every weekend that was possible. The year was coming to a close shortly, and although some were excited about the freedom, most were not that keen on leaving Hogwarts.

" Seriously, Prongs, I would have thought that you would have been traipsing around Hogsmeade looking for a job, I would ave'," Sirius told his friend. "What are you going to do, come August, when you have a baby and a little wife to support? Ow, Lily!" She had smacked Sirius on the head for the comment about her being a " little" wife.

" Sirius, leave him alone, give him time. He has Newts to worry about, anyway. August is a long always." Lily had smiled at James reassuringly, but later on she had pulled him aside.

" James, you _are _going to start thinking about it, aren't you? I already have my receptionist job set up, but with the baby I won't be in for a while.." Lily whispered.

" Of course I will. Its like you said, I have to finish worrying about school. I'll tell you what- next Hogsmeade weekend, I'll go job-hunting."

He did as he promised, and come the next Hogsmeade trip, James had gone to the Post Office, Dervish and Bangs, and Zonko's before finally securing a job in Honeydukes Sweetshop. He had good pay, and he would work there from June to late August, when the baby was born to be due. James would search for a job in Diagon Alley once the baby and Lily were all settled in, that way be could be closer to home. Lily had reminded him that he could just apparate from work every night, but James didn't want to be so far away. His Mum and Dad had said that Lily and James could use the small cottage that was down the lane from them, that way Sophia could help with the baby. At least they had lodgings, James had thought when he heard of this.

It became exceptionally warm in May, and Lily was growing rather uncomfortable. The concealment potion she had been taking make it worse, so Lily stopped taking it altogether. It was rather a surprise for James, waking up one morning and finding a very huge Lily in the common room. It took the teachers and students by surprise, as well, the shock registered on their faces made James laugh out loud.

Lily's pregnancy had been exceptionally calm, overall, without a lot of fuss from the teachers or students as time wore on. So it was a surprise for James when he got a note from Dumbledore, asking for a meeting. James knew that it would be about the baby, so one night in late May he went to the headmaster's office.

" Tapeworm," James had said to the gargoyle outside of Dumbledore's office, and the ugly stone creature jumped back to reveal the doorway and spiral staircase. Once at the top, James was about to knock on Dumbledore's door when he heard voices.

" Dumbledore, you must do something about this!"

" Now, now, Minerva, you know that I cannot change what has happened, but I will take all of the necessary precautions to ensure that the children's safety if in the highest regard. I always do." Dumbledore's voice was low, and James knew that it was serious. There was a pause after Dumbledore spoke.

" Oh, oh Albus, but those poor, poor children. How are they going to live with something like this hanging over their future? How are the they going to take it? How are Sophia and Charlus going to take it? In these times...and with Voldemort on the loose...I can't even imagine how-,"

James froze at the mention of his parents. Whatever the conversation was about, James knew that it involved Lily and the baby. But when there was another pause, James was hit in the face with a beam of light, and the door had swung open to reveal a harried looking Professor McGonagall and Dumbledore, who was standing in front of James looking very grave.

" Sir, I'm here because- you called me?" James said. Dumbledore gave McGonagall a look, and he nodded at James and gestured for him to sit in a chair. " Yes, Mr. Potter. Minerva, we will continue this discussion later. I have the business to take care of."

Professor McGonagall stared at James, and James swore that he saw tears in his housemistress's eyes. She hurriedly walked out of the room, but not before putting a hand to James' shoulder and squeezing it comfortingly.


	6. Black Hole In Our Plans

Dumbledore had walked over to the fireplace and was staring into the low flames. James didn't know if he should speak or not. Finally, after several moments, Dumbledore turned around and looked at James.

" James, have you heard of prophecies?"

" Err, well yea, Sir, I took Divination in my third year." James didn't understand why Dumbledore was talking about such a stupid subject. Maybe he was just making conversation, James thought. Or maybe it was really important.

" Well, for that I'm glad. But tell me, what do you think of them?" Dumbledore turned back to the flames. That puzzled James.

" I think that they are a load of rubbish," James said, hoping that this was the right answer. It didn't seem like it, because Dumbledore stayed quiet. Then, he came over and pulled a chair up next to where James was sitting.

" I believed so too, James. Until this morning. Yes, this morning my opinion was completely rearrange. You see, every morning I like to have silence and drink my tea, and read for a while. But I had a visitor. "

James cocked his head questioningly, but didn't interrupt Dumbledore.

" The visitor was looking to apply for a job, the Divination position, actually, and her name was Sybill Trelawney, the great-great granddaughter of a very gifted seer. Before she left, after I politley declined her request, she made a prophecy herself. One that I believe to be very exact." Dumbledore stared right into James' eyes. " This prophecy is one that involves you, Ms. Evans, and your child."

James narrowed his eyes. " What do you mean, sir? Is it...bad?"

Dumbledore was silent again. James wished that he would just answer the question, buts soon realized that his answer was within the silence.

" Oh no, Professor, you can't believe this. Some _lunatic _is raving about something that has to do with us? We haven't even met her, so how can she know who we are?"

Dumbledore shook his head. " James. Calm down, I understand that you want your own questions answered, but let me continue with what happened." He went back to his standing position near the fireplace. " The prophecy James, mentioned how there was a family who has defied Voldemort three times and-,"

" Me and Lily? We haven't had anything to do with-,"

" James." Dumbledore's voice rang loudly. " The prophecy speaks about a child born as the seventh month dies, which means July, and although Lily is due in August, I have reason to believe-,"

" Professor, this is just a load of rubbish. We're seventeen. We haven't fought Voldermort, and we never will. The baby isn't due for months- sir, how can you even think that this could be Lily and me? There are _hundreds _of other witches who are pregnant right now, and they have actually fought Death Eaters!" James didn't like this quick-thinking side of Dumbledore- it was ridiculous, really.

" Mr. Potter."

James shut his mouth immediately.

" My intentions were just to let you know of the turn of events, which may not pertain to you at all! However, we must be on the lookout. Good night."

James went back to the common room.


	7. I Would Die For You

" What did he want?" Lily asked James as soon as he returned to Gryffindor Tower.

" Stuff about homework," James shrugged off his lie and sat beside her on the sofa in front of the fireplace. Lily immediately put her arms around his waist and leaned into him, and James kissed the top of her forehead. The common room was empty.

_Dumbledore is wrong, _James thought to himself. _Lily and me will be just fine. Even if we do become aurors, it won't make a difference. Prophecies are stupid. _

" James?"

Lily had detached herself from him, and he met her bright green eyes. She ran a hand through his hair. " James, are you alright? You seem rather… tense."

He said nothing, but rather pulled her into a kiss, trying to erase the memories of Dumbledore, prophecies, and Voldemort. Lily reacted with surprise, but kissed him back. James put one hand in her sweet-smelling hair and the other around her waist, and he eased her onto her back. The firelight was glinting in her eyes and she smiled at him.

" You're still going to have to talk to me, you know."

" But we can wait for that, can't we? Right now…just, never mind. I love you."

She nodded. " I love you too."

He kissed her again, and then hugged her. They stayed like that for a long time.

" Alright. Time for me to retire," Lily struggled to get off the couch, and James held her stand up. He walked her to the entrance of the girls dormitory, but before she turned to leave, Lily faced him.

" I know this all seems scary, but we'll be alright, James. We'll be fine."

James suddenly wanted to tell her everything. He wanted Lily to know, to be on her guard, to expect the worst…even though all of this prophecy nonsense was ridiculous. But he held his tongue, kissed his girlfriend goodnight, and madde his way to his four poster bed in the seventh year boys dormitory.

The next morning was brutal. All through breakfast James avoided the gazes of his friends, and didn't meet Lily's eyes once during the entire meal. In transfiguration class Professor McGonagall kept glancing at him, and didn't even give him a telling off when James admitted to not having his homework. James realized that Dumbledore must have informed her about that prophecy, and it made him wince to think that maybe the entire faculty knew.

The charm that was placed upon Lily's stomach to make is flat was counteractable, and when they were alone Lily would take the spell off to show James the size of her growing stomach. Because she was so small, she looked engulfed by the baby inside of her. Late at night, in the common room or in James' dorm, they would lie side by side and Lily would put his hand on top of the bulge, and James could feel the baby kicking. He would smile, and in turn Lily would smile, and James would forget about everything.

But sometimes it was hard to forget entirely. Every time James would catch site of Dumbledore, the old professor would stare at him intently, enough to make James both uncomfortable and angry. Dumbledore seemed to be resting upon something, upon some kind of action, something that James was sure that he would be kept in the dark about. Dumbledore was like that- and it annoyed James greatly.

It was break time one sunny June morning, and the Marauders were lounging in a usual place- under a tree near the Black Lake. The Giant Squid would randomly breach the surface of the water and splash great waves of salt water upon disarmed girls who thought it would be lovely to study on the bank of the lake, giving the Marauders an opputunity to roar with laughter as the girls scowled at them.

" Shove off, James Potter!" Marcia Brown howled, shaking her fist at the boys.

" It's not funny!"

" On the contrary, my darling, it was very amusing.."

" I hope that was not James calling another girl his darling," Lily lankily walked toward the tree. James smiled at her and held out an arm, and Lily nestled herself into it. " Because if it was, he'd have detention."

" As if you would give _me, _detention, _darling," _James laughed, placing mock emphasis on the name of affection. " How was your checkup?"

Lily had been flooed to St. Mungo's for a monthly pre-natal checkup. Madam Pomfrey would always accompany her. Lily didn't answer the question, but instead blushed and fiddled with a blade of grass. James understood the hint.

" Guys," He directed at the boys, " would you mind?"

Remus shook his head, and Peter shrugged, but Sirius scowled as Remus pulled him to his feet. He chucked his half-eaten apple at James headed, but narrowly missed.

" Fine then, but I expect a full report on how Prongsie Junior is doing."

" Thank you, guys..but oh, come back later, alright?" As soon as they were out of earshot, James shifted so he was facing Lily. He took her hands and smoothed back her hair. " So..how did it go?"

She took a deep breath and said, " We only have a few months left, but the healer thinks it might be before that because I'm not very big. My stomach is huge, though, remember?"

James nodded. Last night ( after a failed attempt to get into the girls dormitory), James had kissed and caressed Lily's huge stomach for quite some time in the common room. " Yeah," He said, grinning. " But…why would you be early?"

Lily's blush returned and James had no idea why. She said, " You don't worry about that, alright? I have my girlfriends to talk about that with. All I want you to worry about-," She put her hands on the side of his face, " – is what type of ice cream you will bring me in the hospital. Okay?" She kissed him, and leant into his embrace.

" Okay. Chocolate?"

Lily's laugh sounded like tinkling windchimes. " Nope. I want something exotic."

" Alright then…vanilla?" James questioned, and he was met with Lily's laugh once again. He hugged her. " I'll get you every type of sweet there is in the entire world, if that's what you want."

Lily sighed, and ruffled his hair. " I know you would, '_Prongsie'". _

James stared out into the bright blue sky, where a lone hippogriff was circling some clouds. " I would die for you."

" I know you would," Lily said softly. " I know you would."


	8. Everything Changes

The professors did not give the students any less work because the year was winding down, and they certainly weren't going to give the graduating seventh-years any exception to that philosophy. If anything, the teachers became even more irritable. McGonagall would bark out instructions to a very sleepy class, and Flitiwick would assign extra homework to anyone so fast that they wouldn't even realize that they had done anything wrong at all. Sirius had detention with every single teacher this week- save for Slughorn, who Sirius has the good fortune to bring back some mulled mead from the Three Broomsticks.

One day during a particularly funny lunch, McGonagall approached James at the Gryffindor Table. James turned toward her, expecting a reprimand for spraying Remus with pumpkin juice, but instead saw a grave look in her eye.

" Professor?" He asked, getting up from the table at once. Lily was not at lunch, she had a visit with the nurse in the hospital wing, and James immediately suspected that this had to be about her. Was she all right? Was there something wrong? He needed to see her-

" The Headmaster needs to speak with you, James. In his office. The password is _melancholy. _I'll take you if you'd like."

Sirius snickered at knowing the password, and it was a sign of McGonagall's obvious distress that she did not glare at him. James nodded at his friends, and turned to leave the Great Hall, but before he could, he felt his professor's hand on his shoulder.

Looking at her, James saw that she had tears in her eyes, and she patted his arm in a comfortingly way. This propelled his curiousity and his worriment more, and James sprinted out of the Great Hall. He heard Professor McGonagall running behind him, shouting his name. Instead of heading toward Dumbledore's office, he ran in the direction of the hospital wing, where Lily would be…James heard the skid of McGonagall's shoes when she switched directions so quickly, but she was still following him as quickly as she could.

" Mr. Potter!"

James burst through the double doors and into the Hospital Wing, and Madam Pomfrey dropped her wand, which she was running over Lily's bare stomach. James saw her, and immediately dropped to his knees at the side of Lily's bed.

" James?" Lily asked, running her hand through his hair.

" Are-you-okay?" James was out of breath, but he took in the sight of her, scanning for anything wrong. McGonagall was here now, running toward the bed.

" I-I'm fine…but…what about you? James, oh, James, I'm so sorry."

He was confused, and now Madam Pomfrey was standing over him, her face in a grim line, her eyes sad. McGonagall was breathing deeply, and she turned to Madam Pomfrey.

" Albus is coming now, Poppy, he'll clear all of this up with him..come, James, into Poppy's office…the Headmaster wants to talk to you.."

" What's the matter with Lily?" James asked, stroking her face. Lily's eyes were locked on his and she shook her head.

" Nothing, James. I'm all right."

" Then what's the matter-,"?

Dumbledore was here now, and he was walking quickly toward them. James stood up.

" Sir, what's going on? Is it about the-,"

" Mr. Potter, just come with me, please." Dumbledore's voice matched Madam Pomfrey and McGonagall's- tired, weary, and sad…

" No, what happened? What's going on? Is someone going to tell me-?"

McGonagall exchanged a look with Dumbledore, and then she started to steer him toward Madam Pomfrey's office. " Calm down, Mr. Potter.."

James wrenched out of her grip, and turned to Dumbledore. " Sir, does this have to do with our conversation the other night?" James inclined his head toward Lily, hoping that Dumbledore would catch the hint, and he did, only Lily's eyes darkened and she spoke at the same time as Dumbledore.

" No, Mr. Potter."

" What conversation?"

" Then tell me, Professor, if you are actually planning too!" James's voice was just below that of a shout.

Dumbledore hesitated, and ignored the sound McGonagall made with the back of her throat. He put his hands on James shoulders, and sat him down on an empty bed.

" Voldemort attacked, James. Your parents are dead."


	9. I'm Going To Kill Him

" James?"

He didn't look at her, he couldn't look at Lily, or he knew that the tears that he was trying so hard to hold back would come crashing down. James didn't want that. He turned away from Dumbledore and the rest of them, took a deep breath, and began to walk out of the hospital wing. Thirty more steps and he could let go, run to the Quidditch pitch or the Forbidden Forest…anywhere where he could just get away from all of this.

" James?"

Oh no. Lily was following him. He picked up speed, but he felt the air behind him move as she did too. Soon, he was running out of the Hospital Wing, running away from her and any chance that he could break down in front of her. But right before he reached the heavy wooden doors, her small hand caught his arm and pulled him back. She enveloped him in a hug, and he fell to the ground, but she didn't let him go, and he cried into her as she smoothed his hair away from his forehead.

" Let's go outside..James, let's leave.." Lily softly whispered in his ear, and she lead him out of the doors, and shuffled toward the atrium of the school. There were a few students milling about, and when they saw James, they looked at him in confusion.

The sky was so unlike the other day's that it was painful. What used to be bright and refreshing was now dark and depressing and gray. Clouds littered the dusty sky, and the cold air bit at James cheeks. Leaves crunched at his feet, but not in a cheerful way. There were barely any students outside, and the ones who were were grudginly planting mandrakes for herbology. The only part of him that was warm was the part that Lily was holding on to- his hand.

Before he knew it, he was being pushed down into a sitting position, and when he leaned back he was against the oak tree. Lily sat directly in front of him, and put her hands on his cheeks. Forcing his head up to face her, she looked directly into his eyes.

James tried to pull away, but she wouldn't.let him. Defeated, he blinked to hide his emotion.

" James. _Look at me,"_ Lily whispered harshly. " Darling, come on.."

He mumbled something unintelligible. He tried to find something to look at- anything but having to drown in those emerald eyes. But the hand Lily had on his chin forced his gaze towards her, and he lost it.

Diving forward into her arms, he let out a howl that pierced Lily's heart.

" Oh, baby.."

" Why did they have to die? Oh, God.."

" Shh..its going to be ok…"

" They promised they would be ok. They promised me that they would be there".

Lily bit back tears as she nestled James against her, kissing the top of his head.

" I know, James. I know".

He was quiet for a while, and seemed to be in a pensive, heavy thought. Lily took a deep breath and kept running her fingers through his hair. The only sounds that they could hear were the swears of the herbology students as their fingers ( or worse) were bitten. The wind howled and the biting feeling it gave almost had a sound. Could the earth tell what had happened? Then, it was still.

" I'm going to kill him."

Lily was startled by James' voice. It had almost seemed as though he had fallen asleep against her. Without even thinking about it, Lily reacted.

Pulling him up and holding him by the shoulders, she peered directly into his eyes and spoke. " What?"

His eyes glowed with hatred, but Lily saw past that and noticed the vulnerability that he had. He was scared- but James also didn't think things through when he was scared, or angry, or hurt. He just….acted.

" I'm going to kill Voldemort. If I don't, then who will?"

" Oh no, oh noo James. No. Stop it. You're upset, that's why you're saying that. You can't kill him. Darling, I love you…let's go back up to the common room, talk to Sirius and Remus and Peter and just-"

" Lily."

Lily stopped talking and looked at him again. The fierceness in his gaze made her eyes falter, but he didn't look down. The look both scared Lily and made her proud of him.

" He killed my _parents. _Who will he kill next?" His voice broke as he asked the question, but he quickly regained his composure, stood up, and started to hurry toward the gates of the school, pulling out his wand. Lily realized what he was going to do only moments before he apparated.

" James! James- stop! Stop!"

" Don't you understand!?!" He barked, tears running down his face. " He'll come after you next! He'll come after our _child, _next, Lily, and I won't let him do that!"

Running out the gates, and turning on the spot, James Potter apparated into thin air, on his way to defy Voldemort for the first time in his life.

**Hey guys! So, I know that this chapter took a veryy long time to complete, and I'm currently cleaning out my email to prepare for the hordes of complaints on the chapters lack of action/length/damn fluff. But I promise- its all coming! This has definetly been the hardest chapter to write…but the action is coming. I must have revised this at least 5 times. But fluff is coming very soon, and while I think you all understand what is going to happen, I apologize for the cliffy grins evilly. But in my defense, I promise that there is more to come.**

**Have a great and blessed thanksgiving everyone! I'll try to write a bit in study hall tomorrow- I've been feeling inspired lately by the penultimae chapter of Bridget Wenlock's fan fiction, The Last Prophecy. Plus, she's also my sister ******

**Love you all, **

**Lindsay. **

**p.s. some of the inspiration I got for this fic came from a song by Natalie Grant called **_**One Child. **_**It is amazing- and she is the best singer I have ever heard. I definetly recommend buying her albums off of itunes! I feel like a walking advertisement, but her album AWAKEN literally changed my life. So google, please ******


	10. Stronger Together

Lily stood there for what seemed like the longest time before she took off running toward the school. Sprinting through the doors, she immediately headed to the hospital Wing, praying that Dumbledore would still be there. Throwing open the door, she burst inside, and heard him.

" Professor Dumbledore! Professor Dumbledore!" She screamed, not slowing down. " It's James- he apparated off the grounds, to go find Voldemort! I-I-I don't know where he went, I don't know what's going to happen-," her voice raised in pitch as she grew hysterical. McGonagall came over to her and put her hand on her shoulder, whispering words of comfort. Dumbledore, however, threw a sharp look out the window. His eyes showed that he had reached a moment of dawning- realizing where James must have gone, he turned toward the exit of the Hospital Wing.

" Minerva, call the Order to the Potter Mansion. I will go there myself for now."

Without a second thought, Lily stood up. " I'm coming with you."

McGonagall gasped, and opened her mouth to protest, but Dumbledore shook her off. " Yes, yes, she has to come too. I didn't even think-well, let's go. You have your wand?" He asked Lily as they left, striding out of Hogwarts and toward the same gates that James had apparated from. Lily checked her back pocket.

" Yes…and I have his invisibility cloak…"

" Good. Grasp my arm firmly, and be prepared to cast a spell as soon as we land. Regain your composure quickly, Ms. Evans. The Death Eaters will not give us much time."

Gulping slightly, Lily braced herself for the dizzying feeling of apparition. It came and left before she could comprehend what was happening, and in her confusion she lost her balance.Then she noticed that she could not see a thing. Had apparition done something to her eyesight? _Am I blind?_

" The place has been set on fire-," Dumbledore explained for her, somehow reading her mind. " - to create the illusion that the area is bigger than it really is. The Death Eaters have marked their place cleverly." He marched on, seeming to know the way.

A beam of green, a shout, and a curse sprung through the air over their heads. Dumbledore forced Lily's head down, and immediately pointed his wand toward the sky. The fog left, only drifting in the place where they had apparated from. A scream ensued, and Lily heard James shout.

" _James, _" she whispered to Dumbledore. He nodded, and turned suddenly as members of the Order sprang into action, coming out of the fog. It had been Dumbledore's plan all along, she noticed, as the Death Eaters were taken by surprise.

She finally saw James, battling a long haired female. He struck her down with such venom that surprised Lily, but before she could react she heard a cold, loud voice.

" _Come to join the play, Mr. Potter? I'm sorry your parents couldn't watch their _prefect _fight," _Lord Voldemort snarled before casting a quick curse toward James, who dodged it beautifully.

" I'm going to kill you, you bastard!" James shouted, returning the same curse.

Lily didn't want take away James focus, so she stayed silent, but when a lone Death Eater sneaked up behind James to aide his master, Lily had to act. Throwing herself behind James, Lily quickly stunned the man and took his wand. James noticed the commotion and saw his fiancee.

" Lily! Leave now!" He shouted at her before throwing another curse at the Dark Lord. Suddenly, the grounds grew quiet as the fighting ceased. Voldemort snickered.

" Well, well, well…Ms. Evans has joined us? Perfect..perfect…I didn't even have to come after you myself. My dear, welcome," He mock bowed to Lily, who didn't know what to do. She was scared, but feeling James body in front of hers made her more courageous. That, and the small flutter in her stomach that reminded her of why James even wanted to kill Voldemort.

" _Stupefy," _she snarled, but Voldemort deflected it easily. She should have known better.

" _Crucio," _the Dark Lord whispered, casting the curse easily. Lily fell to the ground, writhing. Her stomach was on fire, her head full of blood, and her body couldn't hold still. She was worried for her baby- the baby who was being harmed by this evil, evil creature…

Lily urged up all her strength to throw a stinging hex on Voldemort, and somehow he had not been expecting it. Screaming in pain, James pulled Lily off the ground and shoved her behind a tree. Immediatley, feeling someone on her arm, Lily shook them off, but as she noticed it was an Order member she allowed them to quickly heal any injuries.

" Please..hurry…." She whispered, even though the healing charms had done nothing for her. Her eyes began to go black, and she felt dizzy, but she shook off the feeling. Suddenly, there was a scream.

James had knocked Voldemort to the ground and was punching him in the face. His wand knocked aside, Voldemort tried to get the teenager off of him, but it was a miracle that James was still hanging on.

" I'll kill you..I'm going to kill you for doing that…you're _dead," _James ground out, even as the Death Eaters stopped their battle and were now staring at him. A wise Order Member hauled James off of Voldemort and dragged him away just as Voldemort had disapparated.

Ignoring her pain and running over to him, Lily threw her arms around James. Another hand touched her arm, and Lily felt herself being squeezed through a tube.

Landing on the soft grass of Hogwarts, James hit the ground with Lily still in his arms. She was crying, and he had tears running down his face.

" Oh my God..oh my God…I thought that you were dead.." Lily whispered to him, clinging to his waist. He buried his face in her hair.

" Merlin, I love you Lily…why did you come?" He whispered back to her harshly, stroking her hair. " I would have killed myself if something happened to you."

" I couldn't leave you there alone…we're stronger when we're together, haven't I told you that before?" She cried. James put a finger to her lips. Nearby, he saw Dumbledore and two other Order Members running over to them. Quickly, he kissed Lily.

" I need you to protect what we have. You can't go fighting with my child inside of you," James replied, ending the conversation for now. Lily shook her head, attempting to fight back, but James kissed her again, this time more deeply. Lily responded by promptly fainting.

" Alright, Potter, I've got her," A gruff looking Order member went to pick up Lily. " Do you need help?"

James shook his head fervently. " No, no I- is she going to be ok?" He felt his voice break as Lily turned pale, her dead-looking skin contrasting horribly with her bright hair.

" I should think so. Here now, lean on Geoff," the man said, indicating the other man who had just joined them. James made to protest, but suddenly felt tired and accepted the arm that was put around his waist. He managed to walk up to the castle steps, and that is where McGonagall came running out.

" Oh, God- Mr. Potter, what were you thinking?! Ohhh…" She moaned as she saw the state of distress the couple was in, as well as Dumbledore, who was now following several paces behind them.

" She was hit…crucio…," James mumbled to his head of house.

" Let's just get them to Poppy- oh Merlin…," James aide said as James slumped into unconsciousness. James and Lily were carried through the school without interupption seeing as it was nearing midnight. When they entered the hospital wing, however, it was a different story. Remus, Sirius, and Peter were there, and jumped up just as the entourage entered the room.

" What did you do to him?" Sirius narrowed his eyes at the man carrying James. The three boys hauled James off of the man and dragged him to a hospital bed. Lily was placed in the bed next to him.

" Boys, Mr. Potter and Ms. Evans are going to be fine. But I must ask you to leave now. You can come back in the morning," Dumbledore said to the Gryffindors, and McGonnagall escorted them to Gryffindor Tower while ignoring their protests.

" Albus, I don't like this. Not one bit." Madam Pomfrey said to Dumbledore while giving Lily a potion. " Unforgivables, pregnancy's, prophecies…these children should not have to deal with this."

" Somehow, I think they are the only ones who _can _deal with this."

**Woah. Ok. I know this chapter may not be the best, but its 10 at night and I have school tomorrow. But I am definetly feeling this story, and I PROMISE that fluff will come in the next chapter! Hint : who doesn't know about the prophecy yet? Hmm…it's a pretty obvious answer. Think simply. Well, anyway, I really appreciate the reviews that I have gotten for the last chapter. I am also very appreciative of you guys understanding my lack of time- sophmore year is wayy more difficuly than freshman. So thanks, and keep reviewing!**

**Love, Lindsay**

**p.s. Song inspiration that helped me write this chapter : Never Alone - Barlow Girl**


End file.
